Barnes and Noble to announce new e-Reader

Invites are slowly making their way to journalists asking them to join them to a "major event in the company's history".

The Wall Street Journal has already reported that the company is working on its own e-Reader to rival products from Amazon and Sony.

Barnes & Noble has already struck deals to serve as the bookstore for e-Readers made by others, including Plastic Logic.

The news comes following an announcement with iRex in September and the launch of its own online book store in July.

The online book store will bring some 700,000 titles to customers keen to read, will cost $9.99 per book and in the process leapfrog Amazon's ebook offerings, making it the world's biggest ebook retailer, said the company.

Looking to appeal to a wider audience, the company will offer software for the iPhone, BlackBerry handsets, PC and Mac as well as signing an exclusive deal with e-reader maker Plastic Logic.

At the time, the company said that it was working with Plastic Logic to create a new e-Reader device that would measure 8.5 x 11 inches and offer wireless connectivity when it becomes available in early 2010.

We will keep you posted.

UPDATE: Plastic Logic has announced the Que ebook reader to launch in partnership with Barnes & Noble.

Stuart has been a tech journalist since 1998 and written for a number of publications around the world. Regularly turning up on television, radio and in newspapers, Stuart has played with virtually every gadget available.